Auburn on Monday announced the firing embattled coach Bryan Harsin, just eight games into his second season on the Plains.
The move has been long expected as Harsin, who never had the support of the school's most powerful boosters, was working without the athletic director who hired him since August and seemingly coached for his job each week this season. The Tigers are 3-5 and on a four-game losing streak.
"Auburn University has decided to make a change in the leadership of the Auburn University football program," the release read. "President Roberts made the decision after a thorough review and evaluation of all aspects of the football program.
"Auburn will begin an immediate search for a coach that will return the program to a place where it is consistently competing at the highest levels and representing the winning tradition that is Auburn football."
MORE: Ranking Auburn's 10 best coaching candidates to replace Bryan Harsin
The school did not immediately announce an interim coach for the Tigers' football program through the remaining four regular-season games. Per a report from On3.com, later corroborated by AL.com, former All-America running back Carnell "Cadillac" Williams will serve as interim coach.
Williams was one of the key players on Auburn's undefeated 2004 team before beginning a seven-year NFL career that saw him become the 2005 NFL Rookie of the Year. The fourth-year Auburn running back coach has previous experience as a position coach at West Georgia (2016), the IMG Academy (2017) and AAF's Birmingham Iron (2018).
Auburn needs to win at least three of its remaining games vs. Mississippi State, Texas A&M, Western Kentucky and No. 6 Alabama to gain bowl eligibility.
Why did Auburn fire Bryan Harsin?
There's more to Harsin's firing than just his record, but that is the most recent issue the university took with its second-year coach.
Harsin finished his Auburn tenure with a 9-12 record following a 6-7 season in 2021, one that saw the Tigers beat two ranked opponents and fall in single-possession games to top-10 teams in No. 10 Penn State and No. 3 Alabama. Auburn lost to Houston in the Birmingham Bowl.
Auburn's issues with Harsin began before he was even the program's coach. The university's most powerful boosters are widely reported to have pushed out former coach Gus Malzahn following a 6-4 season in the COVID-19-affected 2020 season. The boosters reportedly supported the hiring of assistant coach and longtime defensive coordinator Kevin Steele as the new head coach, though the athletic department did not go in that direction.
The university then targeted Mario Cristobal (then with Oregon) and Billy Napier (then with Louisiana). Both coaches eventually left their programs to coach Miami and Florida, respectively. The Tigers also considered UAB coach Bill Clark, who reportedly scoffed at the idea he would not be able to hire his own coaching staff.
Former athletic director Allen Greene led the coaching search that resulted in Harsin's hiring. At the time he was hired by Auburn, Harsin had completed his seventh year at Boise State, where he compiled a 69-19 record and had five seasons of double-digit wins.
MORE: Auburn head coach defends himself amid rumors of mistreatment, alleged affair
Harsin proved a cultural misfit, however, and boosters reportedly were angry Auburn was unable to land a more high-profile candidate. After his first season, Harsin fired Mike Bobo as offensive coordinator and hired Austin Davis from the Seattle Seahawks. Davis resigned after 43 days. Harsin also lost defensive coordinator Derek Mason to the same position at Oklahoma State after one season.
More importantly, players accused the first-year coach of mistreatment, with one player, defensive lineman Lee Hunter, claiming Harsin treated them "like dogs." Hunter, who was one of several Auburn players to enter the transfer portal over the offseason, ultimately rejoined Malzahn at UCF. That prompted former president Jay Gouge to conduct an internal investigation of Harsin's program.
The school in February announced it would retain him as coach.
President Jay Gogue updates the Auburn Family on the football program review, Coach Bryan Harsin provides statement:
— Auburn University (@AuburnU) February 11, 2022
➡️https://t.co/sfJqNHuOMe
Harsin since went on record claiming the investigation — which also reviewed unsubstantiated rumors he was having an affair with an Auburn staffer — was nothing more than an attack on his moral character.
"Any attack on my character is bulls—," Harsin said in February. "None of that is who I am."
With Greene's resignation in August, Harsin had no allies at Auburn. Of course, he potentially could have saved his job through on-field play, player development and recruiting.
Instead, former starting receiver Tar'Varish Darwin on Wednesday became the 10th player of Harsin's 2021 recruiting class to announce his intent to enter the transfer portal. That class ranked 19th nationally and seventh in the SEC. Harsin's 2022 recruiting class ranked 22nd nationally and ninth in the SEC.
Auburn's 2023 class ranks 55th nationally and last in the SEC due primarily to Harsin's future constantly in doubt.
Bryan Harsin contract
Harsin faces a similar contract buyout as Malzahn. Per multiple reports, Auburn managed to save roughly $2.5 million of his buyout by allowing him to coach another season (the university would have owed him the full $18 million had it fired him after the 2021 season).
As it stands, Harsin will make roughly $15.5 million from Auburn's buyout, 50 percent of which is owed within 30 days of his firing. As noted by Chris Vannini of The Athletic, Auburn will now pay roughly $37 million in buyouts combined for Malzahn and Harsin.
Between Gus Malzahn and Bryan Harsin, Auburn will have paid around $37 million to buy out two head coaches since 2020 (not including staff).
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) October 31, 2022
Harsin had nearly the exact same buyout clause as Malzahn. He'll be owed around $15.5m, 50% within 30 days, no offset from another job.
Who is Auburn's new athletic director?
The news of Harsin's firing comes on the same day Auburn was reportedly finalizing a deal to hire Mississippi State's John Cohen, who held that position from 2016 through 2022. He was also a former baseball coach at Mississippi State (2009-16) and Kentucky (2004-08).
Cohen, who went to Mississippi State, was hired in 2016 to replace Scott Stricklin. The Bulldogs won the 2021 baseball national championship on his watch. He signed a four-year extension in July, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.
